Garashul
|+'Gäraşul' |- |'Official Name' || City of Gäraşul |- |'Region' County || West Coast Gäraşul |- |'Founded' || 1303 |- |'Mayor' Governor || Nikolän Annäd Sorin Lebän |- |'Population' || 1,421,010 (2009 est) 1,402,554 (2003 census) |- |'Postal Code(s)' || ATY0001 - ATY0034 |- | Police Force || Garashul Police |- | Educational Zone || Garashul & Delsään |} Garashul (Nesseran: Gäraşul) is the capital of Atavya, and with a population of 1.4 million, is its largest city. It is the financial, industrial, commercial and cultural centre of the country. It is part of the larger Garashul Urban Area, which in turn is part of the even larger West Coast Metropolitan Area. The city forms it's own county, the Garashul Municipal County, which was taken from the adjacent Delsään County in 1970. Economically, the city of Garashul is the most prosperous and wealthiest in Atavya, and is the primary hub of many transport networks throughout the country. =Etymology= The city's Atavyan name Gäraşul stems from the Nesseran words gära meaning "moor" and şul from Old Nesseran sjul meaning "misty". This is due to the wintry nature of the moor on which Garashul was built. A native resident of Garashul is called a Garashian (Nesseran: gäraşulsqes plur. gäraşulsqesen). =Geography= The city straddles the banks of the Belydes River, on the moors of Northern Atavya. It is located north of the Delsään Peninsula, a small stretch of land which stretches into the Delka Bay. To the southwest is a region of the Delka Bay, known as the Evas Bay, and to the southeast is the Legett Bay. The areas immediately to the north of the city were until recently fairly rural, until the new planned city Tuvärd was constructed from 1955-1970. More recent developments have seen Garashul and it's nearby cities become a single continuous Metropolitan Area. =Demographics= Garashul has a population of around 1.4 million, and is the largest city in Atavya by population. The city's population has stayed relatively steady for the past decade, seeing no major increase or decrease. =Law= Garashul is home to the Central Atavyan Court (Danroşvai Atävsqes Centriş), which is the supreme court of the country, dealing with the most prominent offences and cases which cannot be settled in the County Courts. Because Garashul forms it's own Municipal County, it is also home to the Garashul County Court, dealing with offences on a more local level. Garashul is also the headquarters of the Garashul Police Force, a police force which operates all over the West Coast Metropolitan Area. Crime Crime levels in Garashul are above the national average, with levels second only to that of Sòvärd and Tuvärd. Crime is higher in the northern suburbs of the city, which are on average more socially disadvantaged than those in the south. Pickpocketing and petty theft are the most common offences reported. Illegal street races take place late at night, particularly on the not-yet-open Garashul Orbital Route, and are becoming more common. Prostitution is common in the central areas of the city, however is not strictly illegal in Atavyan law depending on contact. =Transport= Garashul is the most important hub of transport in Atavya. It is home to it's own bus system, several of the country's busiest railway stations, the country's busiest airport and a soon-to-be-opened underground transit system. Air Latär International Airport is the principal airport serving the city. Although it is located in nearby Sòvärd, the airport is extremely well accessible from the city. There is another, smaller airport to the northeast, Deneț-Elekkveled International Airport, which provides some flights to Europe and the Middle-East. Rail There are five principal railway stations in Garashul, each of which offering a host of destinations. From Garashul, it is possible to get direct rail services to all of Atavya's major cities. The main railway stations in the city are: *'Garashul Teletonik' - For services to the north west and all over the east and the south of the country. It is the busiest and biggest railway station in the country. *'Garashul Ucele' - Terminus station for regional and long-distance services to the North-West. Almost all services from this station stop at Teletonik station. *'Garashul Enolek Forster' - Terminus station for services to the west of the country. *'Garashul Progreşen' - Terminus station for services to the neighbouring cities to the north, particularly Deneț), Tuvärd and Sòvärd. *'Garashul Kolessy' - Terminus station for short-distance services around the Delsään Peninsula, along the Delka Bay coastline. Buses Garashul has it's own bus operating company, comprised of 52 bus routes. Buses also go to nearby cities. Patronage of the bus services has declined recently, so 12 bus routes are currently in danger of being ceased. Metro Plans for an underground metro in Garashul had been on the drawing board since 1970, however they were only given the go-ahead in early 2004. Construction of the Garashul Metro began in late 2005, with the first section (Line A) expected to begin operation in January 2010. In total, four lines are under construction, with two more under planning. =Politics= Garashul is the political centre of Atavya, as the location of the Atavyan Central Government. It is also the location of the Presidential Home, as well as the local Garashul Council, which deals with issues on a more local level. Administration Garashul forms it's own Metropolitan County (i.e a county formed from a single city), with the code of '5'. It is further divided into 34 postal divisions: ATY0001-ATY0034, each postal division follows rough neighbourhood boundaries. These postal divisions are also used as similar to a county/borough administration, as Garashul has no specific boroughs per se. =Sport= Several of the country's best sports teams are based in Atavya. The soccer team Dinamo Garashul KF, based in Garashul, won the Atavyan Football League in the 2008-09 season. In addition, several of Garashul's suburbs have their own sports teams, many with "Garashul" in their name. Tennis and Rugby have a small caché in Garashul, with the headquartes of the Atavyan Rugy Football Association being in the city centre. Category:Atavya